While the financial advice industry wrangles with regulators and lawmakers over a universal fiduciary standard, most investors are far more concerned about getting their phone calls returned
Just as financial advisers are embracing alternative investments as a way to generate income for clients, their chief regulator is warning them of the perils of one such type of offering: structured products
News that Jackson National Life Insurance Co. will curtail sales of its popular variable annuity products — likely by limiting investments — has financial advisers on the lookout for the next best thing and its competitors waiting with open arms for an expected uptick in sales
Variable annuity sales at Jackson National Life Insurance have been surging -- so much so that parent company, Britain's Prudential, has deciced to dial back on the product. Yes, you read that right.
<a href=http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=datajoe&djoPage=summary&issuedate=20100423&sid=BD0426&djoProjId=10994&djoRecordId=290006>QA3 Financial Corp.</a>, an independent broker-dealer that was a leading seller of high-risk private placements over the last decade, in a recent lawsuit said its insurance carrier was pushing it into bankruptcy by failing to back up its coverage.
In time for Gay Pride Month, New York Life Insurance Co. has launched a LGBT channel on its website to address financial and estate-planning needs unique to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community
If consumers continue to feel nervous about their money over the next few months, it's a sure sign that the U.S. economy will dive straight into a double-dip recession
A quarter of America's metropolitan areas have jobless rates of 10% or more, above the national average, and many won't see jobs return to pre-recession levels for years.
Long/short ETF manager likes tech, energy and financial companies
Calvert Capital Accumulation Fund off to a good start this year
John Hancock's new fiduciary program for high-end advisers beats coming regulation to the punch
A federal certification would strain resources; some simple approaches help
By the time the clients get a halfhearted call from someone whom they have never met, asking them to keep their business with the firm, they have already heard a much more compelling argument from someone that they are used to trusting: their adviser
Seeking to enlarge its footprint in the small- and midmarket-retirement-plan area, Neuberger Berman LLC has brought on a trio of wholesalers
The SEC's action last week in setting new deadlines for midsize financial advisers' switch to state registration should assuage many about the lack of a clear timetable
A Fidelity survey of married couples finds that they aren't on the same page when it comes to retirement planning, finances.
A research firm predicts that the number of B-Ds in operation could drop from 4,540 to 4,000 by 2014. And bear in mind, that's a net figure. Meaning? A lot more than 540 brokerages will get bought or go belly up in the next few years.
Correlation between consumer optimism and strong market performance no longer applies; why is that?
A raft of likely new taxes and rising taxes will hit the well-off hard in the wallet, say planning experts. How hard? Some can expect double-digit hikes. Yikes.
Planned regulations will hike the standard of care for those who advise DC plans. That should give RIAs a good chance of picking off assets from brokers and wirehouse advisers.
